Lies, Betrayals, and Secrets
by shakespert
Summary: After an intense altercation with his father, Prince Adam finds himself in the Evergreen Forest with someone who claims to know what he's going through in more ways than one. Trouble ensues when he finds out who the man really is.
1. Chapter 1

I made an account on this site so I could write and post an idea I had. Well, it's an idea a lot of us have but I wanted to include it in the eighties version of _He-Man and the Masters of the Universe_. I will admit I got distracted by the wonderful fan fiction that is already on this site, so my writing was delayed. Now I've decided it's time to share my story. I hope someone will find this of interest. Please read and review. As you all know, comments encourages an author to keep going.

**Lies, Betrayals, and Secrets**

Words hurt. It was a fact he had always been aware of, but the thought had solidified when he turned eighteen. After that time, more than one person had hurled insults his way. Some of them he could ignore, because he knew they were things he had led them to believe and that the truth was opposite, but sometimes he felt the words more deeply.

Like today.

The day had started out as any other. He had woken up and spent the morning with his family. Breakfast and court had always been a part of his morning routine. Well, when he didn't have to be He-Man. When he had woken that morning, he had honestly believed it would be a good day. A warm breeze had filtered into his room from the open window, giving his room a comfortable feeling as he rose from bed to get ready. The sun had been shining and not a cloud had been seen anywhere. Now he would be leery of those days from now on.

After court had finished, Adam had gone with Man-at-Arms to play He-Man once more. The Sorceress had contacted him to let him know trouble had been occurring in the Sands of Time. Skeletor had set up residence in the Temple of the Sun. A lot of rituals occurred in that place that brought power to many things and people, so neither she nor he wanted to ignore Skeletor's presence even if he wasn't currently hurting anyone.

The battle had been quick. He had gone in through the front doors and questioned Skeletor why he was there. Skeletor had told him it was none of his business and a fight had ensued. It ended when he had finally cornered Skeletor and he had disappeared with his voice still resonating in their ears, "Another time, He-Man, another time!"

Because of that encounter, he had forgotten that he had promised to meet with his father and a few visiting diplomats that afternoon. Instead of meeting that obligation, he had gone into the courtyard, found a nice shade, and fallen asleep.

That's where he had been when his father's booming voice had woken him up.

"There you are!" he had said.

At that time, he had been sleepy so he hadn't been sure why his father had sounded so angry.

"Have you been here the entire time?"

When he nodded unknowingly at the fate he had condemned himself to, King Randor began to give him the scolding of his life:

"By the Ancients, Adam, I don't know what I'm going to do with you sometimes! There are times when I see you try to act like a prince, but more times than not, I see you make a complete fool out of yourself, which in turn makes a fool out of me! Do you know how embarrassed I was when you didn't show up to that meeting today? It's obvious you don't care! Well, I do, young man. I'm tired of people calling you carefree and lazy and even a sloth and a coward. Nothing you do anymore counters their opinions of you! You are my son, and instead of being a disgrace to that fact, you should try more than you do…"

He didn't want to remember anymore. It had been more of the same. He knew his father had every right to think he was a disgrace to the family. It was what he led everyone to believe. So, now all he could do was mourn the naivety that he had once had, that his father would never be one of the people who hurled insults at him. Yes, he knew his father would get onto him, but he never thought he would see the day when the King of Eternia used his talent of speech to hurt him. And, he had. Badly.

Walking through the Evergreen Forest now, he didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do. It wasn't like he could turn around, go back to Eternos, and tell King Randor that he was He-Man. It might solve their current problem, but it would bring so many more.

What he really wanted was for his father to accept him, to tell him that he supported him in whatever he did in life, no matter who he was. He knew he would never hear those words. It was pointless to wish. His father had made his opinion of his son all too clear today: he was a disgrace to his father's good name. He was a disgrace to the family, the only one to have been such a disappointment.

Tears swarmed to his eyes and slipped slowly down his cheeks. Yes, words hurt, especially when they came from the ones you loved.

He sat down on an old log and contemplated what he was going to do now. How could he fix the situation? How could he heal his father's wounds as well as his own without telling him his secret? What could he do to get the people to respect him without accidentally revealing that he was He-Man? He didn't know if any of it was possible.

As he sat there, he felt the wind shift in direction and he looked up at the sky to see it darkening in the distance. He stared at the lightning that popped at the ground. Storms build and can cause a lot of destruction, but they would eventually die away. His storm would, too. He knew that, but the only problem was he didn't want his relationship with his father to be broken in its wake.

As the thunder boomed and the lightning popped as the storm got closer, he heard a voice say, "It would be wise to seek shelter. It looks like a bad storm is approaching."

He stood rapidly and turned to look at the man who had spoken to him. He took a cautious step back, because for a split second he had thought that the man was Skeletor. He had blue skin like Skeletor, but his face was as fleshy as anyone else's. He looked like a normal man aside from it being blue. He had long, black hair that came to about three inches above his shoulders and he also had a mustache and beard, but they were trimmed far thinner than his father's was.

He looked familiar to Adam, but he didn't know why. He was sure had never seen him before. Maybe it was the similarities to Skeletor. They had a similar physique, too.

"Yes, I guess I should be getting back to the palace."

"Palace?" questioned the stranger. "Do you mean Eternos? That's quite a long walk back. You'll never beat the storm. Would you like to come with me? I have a place nearby to keep us dry."

Adam stared at the man for a moment, deciding whether it would be wise. It was probably safer than staying out in the storm. The lighting and the rain was constant in the distance. "Okay. Thank you."

The man smiled lightly and said, "Come. This way."

The man led him towards the storm and off of the main trail he usually travelled by when going through the forest. In fact, they were no longer on a path at all. "Do you know where you're going?" he called to the man who was slightly ahead of him.

"Of course I do," he replied with a slight chuckle in his voice. "We're almost there."

No sooner than the stranger had said those words, they came to a strange hut that was made from several large limbs from trees and various leaves from the forest. "Are you sure that will withstand the storm and keep us dry?"

"I'm positive," the man said confidently. He gestured for Adam to follow him and went inside the hut. Looking up at the sky and feeling several rain drops touching his face, he realized he didn't have much choice. He followed him inside and was surprised to see that there was a door to shut. The man did that very thing as he said with glee, "Welcome to my little home away from home."

Adam looked around and saw two chairs and a fire in the middle of the hut. How the thing wasn't filling up with smoke or catching on fire, he didn't know. Just as he began to contemplate it, the stranger said, "Please, sit."

He took a seat in the chair offered and watched as the man sat beside him. "So, this is your home away from home," he repeated, realizing that he had been rude when he had not replied to his host earlier. "Where are you from?"

The stranger got a faraway look in his eyes and answered, "I could name several places, but the original place was Eternos."

Adam raised an eyebrow for a moment. The man said it with a touch of sadness and a touch of anger. It was a strange paradox and he wasn't sure if he should question the man on it. Clearing his throat a little, he asked, "Do you have family there?"

The man, who was around his father's age, nodded and replied, "Yes."

Adam sat there for a moment and tapped his fingers on the arms of his chair lightly. This was starting to get uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," he stated suddenly, "I should introduce myself. I'm Prince Adam of Eternia. I'm from Eternos, too."

The man turned only his eyes toward him and announced calmly, "I know who you are, Prince Adam. I've known the entire time."

Hearing alarm bells going off in his mind, he began to stand when the man replied, "In fact, I know much about you and your family. I lived in the Royal Palace once a long time ago."

Adam sat down and asked, "Who are you?"

The man shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

The man sighed and looked up at the roof of his hut as the main part of the storm finally hit their location. He then turned his entire body towards Prince Adam and said, "I'll make you a deal with you, Prince Adam, since we're probably going to be here for a while. You tell me why you were so upset earlier and so far from the palace and I'll tell you who I am and why I no longer live there. Deal?"

Adam listened to wind howl outside and the thunder rumble. He knew the man was correct when he claimed they would be there for a while. He then turned his attention to the man and answered, "Only if you promise not to repeat what I have to say." He decided he did want to talk to someone even if he wouldn't get too specific.

"I promise, and do you make the same promise?"

"I do."

The man smiled and exclaimed, "Then, we have a deal. Tell your story, Prince Adam."

He shrugged and spoke honestly. "I really don't have much to say. I disappointed my father today. I missed a meeting because I was tired and slept through it. He's upset with me. I suppose I can't blame him."

The man hummed a little with a nod and said, "So, Randor is still the bastard he always was?"

At that, Adam shot out of his chair. "Okay, that's it! Who are you?"

The man also stood. He walked right in front of Prince Adam, looked him square in the eye, and said, "I'm your uncle. My name is Keldor and I'm your father's brother."

Adam gasped and Keldor smiled a little. "I know this comes as a surprise and if you allow me, I will keep my side of the bargain and tell you my story."

Adam didn't know if he believed this "Keldor." His father had never told him of a brother named Keldor, but he would listen to his tale before he made his decision. He watched the man warily as he sat back down and once again jumped at the man's next words.

"You and I are a lot alike, Adam, and that's why Randor and I didn't get along."

END OF CHAPTER ONE

I hope you liked this chapter. I also want you to know that this story is not a sole telling of Keldor's story. That will actually only take a short while. The real story is what Adam and Keldor do after the story is told. I hope someone will be interested in finding out what that is.


	2. Chapter 2

A big thank you goes to Foxy 11814 and Hooked for the kind words you had about Chapter 1. You have encouraged me to keep writing. I hope you and others find this chapter interesting, too. Just a warning I figure I should give. I know Keldor was never a twinkle in the eye of the people who created Filmation's version of _He-Man_. I just like the concept of Keldor, so I made him fit into this version. I am actually taking things from the He-Man "Bible" and changing it a little to make it work. So please indulge my whim, not hate me or my story, and forgive me if you hate the notion of Keldor being a part of the Filmation universe. This is a _what if_ story that I hope many can enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

The storm outside did nothing to calm his nerves. The wind continued to howl and it actually shook the small hut that they were in. He was surprised the poorly-crafted hovel wasn't leaking and tearing apart by the intensity of the storm. The thunder crashed and the lightning crackled, and it left him feeling even more anxious about hearing Keldor's story. He felt the insane desire to run from the hut and never look back, but he knew that it wouldn't be a wise decision. The man before him had shown him no ill will, and if he had wanted to hurt him, he could have done so long before now. In fact, he could have left him to his own devices and let him ride out the storm in the forest. This Keldor had shown him kindness, so he would listen to his story.

He stared calmly at his self-proclaimed uncle and waited for him to start his own tale. He didn't have long to wait.

"It began long before you were born. It even began before your father was born. It all started when King Miro was around your age. Of course at the time he had been a mere prince and the decisions that he made at that time were poor at best. His actions at that young age set about a chain of events that led to the Eternia you know today."

The man spoke with almost despair as he thought of the past. Adam couldn't help but feel sorry for him already and he had no idea what Keldor was going to say. He had a very strong suspicion that his words wouldn't be too flattering to his grandfather at all, but he already knew that not every man was completely good or completely bad. Even he had his faults, so he prepared himself to hear of an unfortunate mistake that his grandfather had made a long time ago.

He stared at the man who he now realized did resemble the men in his family. This Keldor may have had blue skin, but his facial structure, his chin, was just like his and his father's. It was a distinctive family trait that many people remarked on, and Keldor had it. He looked into the stranger's eyes and almost felt as though he were looking into his own. "What happened?" he asked finally, prompting the man to continue his tale.

"Miro fell in love."

Adam knew that there was more to it than that. Falling in love wasn't a bad thing. He waited to hear to hear the rest.

"He fell in love with a woman from another planet, a woman no one thought an Eternian should or could ever love."

Adam flinched as he heard the man's words. Earlier Keldor had claimed that he and Adam were a lot alike and now that he had stated that his grandfather had fallen in love with a woman from another planet, a lot of things were falling into place. Keldor had blue skin because he was a Halfling. He was the offspring of an Eternian and a being from somewhere else in the universe.

Just like him.

He noticed Keldor was looking at him with a small smile, almost as though he could read his mind and find pleasure in the fact that the young prince had already discovered one of their similarities without having to be told straightforward. Ignoring that thought, he asked, "Who did he fall in love with?"

Keldor studied Prince Adam for a moment and then questioned, "Have you ever heard of Infinita?"

He shook his head.

The man scoffed and replied, "That's what I thought. Of course Randor wouldn't have mention it to you. I really didn't expect otherwise. My dear old brother would probably love to forget the place even existed. In fact, he probably has forgotten. Infinita is a planet in this very solar system, Adam. My mother's planet is not as far away as your mother's. It's on the other side of the Eternian sun and that is why you have never heard of it in your studies of astrology with your man-at-arms. It is never visible to Eternia, but it is there nonetheless."

Adam clasped his hands in front of him and studied Keldor for a moment. The more the man talked the angrier he got, but it was a slow progression. Keldor wasn't frightening him, yet, and he suspected that the man had a lot of reasons to be mad. Deciding to take a guess to speed things along, he asked, "So, my grandfather fell in love with your mother and you are their offspring?"

Keldor turned to Adam and studied him for several long moments before he nodded. "Yes, I was the first born to the then Prince of Eternia."

Those words made Adam gasp. Of course. Keldor was the first born and if Prince Miro had been married to Keldor's mother, he would have been in line to succeed to the throne of Eternia. He could already see where this story was going, but he did not interrupt. He allowed whom he now truly believed to be his uncle to finish his tale at his own pace.

"At first things were good. Miro claimed that he loved my mother and that he would do anything to be with her, even defy his own father. What he didn't tell her was that he was already married."

Adam gasped again.

Keldor sneered and spat, "When my mother found out, she demanded that he choose. She did not want to be played with. Can you blame her?"

The intensity in which Keldor looked at him told Adam that he expected an answer. "No, I can't blame her," he agreed.

The man nodded. "That's when Miro showed his true colors. He told her that he could not disappoint the people of Eternia, that they would not accept a non-Eternian to be their queen nor her offspring. At that time he didn't know she was pregnant, but his words had cut her and she didn't tell him about me until after I was born." Keldor stopped telling his story for a moment and stared up at the ceiling.

Adam glanced up to see if there was something that had grabbed his attention. Nothing. Not knowing how to address him to get his attention, he called out, "Sir? Uh, Keldor?" He even got up to touch his shoulder lightly, but when that didn't work, he questioned, "Uncle?"

That snapped him out of it. Keldor turned and looked at him with a small smile and Adam found himself backing up a little. He could have sworn the look had been a little sinister at first, but now the smile looked genuine so he wondered if he had imagined it in the first place.

Keldor gestured towards the chairs again and took his own seat. Adam sat beside him to finish listening to the story.

As Keldor stared into the flames, his mind seemed to drift elsewhere. "When Miro and his father learned of my existence, they were furious with her, not only because she had gotten pregnant but because she had kept it a secret. That very night, Miro and some of the Royal Guard came to my mother's home and took me away from her. They told her I was a prince and that I didn't deserve to live in squalor. Of course at the time, Miro did not get a good look at me. It was nighttime and my mother lived away from the lights of the city. My condition wasn't readily obvious, but he should have considered the possibility since my mother is just like me." He sucked his teeth a little and said, "When Miro finally saw me in the palace light, I was told that he cried and that it had only gotten louder when his father had walked up and seen me for the first time. Despite their initial reactions, they allowed me to live with them in the palace. I lived there with them for three years that I had once considered a happy life, but that was before Randor was born."

Adam flinched once again and Keldor turned from the fire to study him. His uncle must have seen his initial reaction because eventually he replied, "Do not worry, Prince Adam. I do not hold your grandfather's transgressions, nor your father's, against you. Just like I cannot help who my parents are, nor can you." He looked back at the fire. "You have nothing to fear."

After a lengthy silence had developed, Keldor continued his story. "I lived in the Royal Palace for several more years after Randor was born, for twelve years in fact, and it was during that time that I learned my true place in that family." He glanced at Adam again. "I saw how differently Randor was treated. Randor, and even my other siblings after they were born, were showered with gifts and affection while I lived in the squalor that they had supposedly saved me from. After Randor was born and I was old enough to understand what was going on around me, I realized that my bedchambers was not in the Royal Wing with my family. I stayed with the servants. I wore the clothes that servants wore. I ate the food that servants ate. I had the toys the servants made. I had none of the luxuries that Randor did, but I will give Miro a little credit. There were times when I heard him arguing with his father about how they were treating me, but he always gave up eventually."

Adam noticed his gaze became even more distant and his voice grew softer. "There was a time when Randor and I were friends. We used to play hide-n-seek with one another and he used to come home from school and teach me all of the things he had learned that day. I did go to school, but they never taught me the things that Randor learned and he had taken such great pleasure in teaching me. It took only a few years at school to change that habit, though. The more Randor learned and the older he got, the more his grandfather and father rubbed off on him."

Keldor wrinkled his nose in disgust and spat, "He became what you might call a little snobbish. At first it was subtle. He no longer wanted me to touch his things, but I thought that was normal at first as he got older, but then I noticed the shift in how he spoke to me. He had a habit of lifting his nose and even though I was taller than him, he seemed to look down on me. We no longer played when we were together. Instead, he ordered me around and told me to get things for him, and I was expected by everyone to do it. I had learned that the hard way, trust me. This went on for years and it got worse and worse. Your father was the one who one day finally made me realize I was not a welcomed member of the Royal Family. I was twelve, so he was around nine. We had both been in the courtyard and on that particular day, a group of boys had been allowed to visit the palace. As soon as Randor had seen them, he had jumped up from the bench beside me where we had been doing our homework and ran to them. They had begun to joke and play around and I had merely watched. Looking back now, I suppose I should have known my place and left, but I didn't. Randor's friends eventually noticed me and asked your father who I was. They made fun of my skin color. They made fun of my hair, my nails, and even my clothes. Your father just let it happen and then one finally asked, 'Is he your brother?' Randor yelled, 'No!' I was so angry at that moment! I yelled that I was. I yelled it until I drowned out Randor's protests to the contrary. That night, your great-grandfather came to my room and told me I was not Randor's brother and that I was nothing but a charity case, a mistake his son had stupidly made and that I had better learn my place. It took me three more years to gather the courage to leave. By that time, I was old enough to be comfortable on my own and survive. So, that's what I did. I left Eternos and traveled the planet. For some time I lived off the land in the Evergreen Forest, but for most of my life, I lived in the Dark Hemisphere."

Adam stared at Keldor and then asked, "So, you never came into contact with my grandfather or father ever again?"

Keldor smirked and answered, "Oh, I wouldn't say that at all. As a matter of fact, before Randor met your mother I had returned to Eternos to see my brother once. You see, while I was gone, I had found my mother before she died and she had taught me magic. She told me stories of magical places on Eternia and of magic relics that could give a man power so great that he could be nearly invincible. I may not have had that kind of power at the time, but my mother taught me that I did have magic abilities and that if I found the right items, there were ways to control my powers and even augment them." He shrugged. "When I came to see your father, I wanted to show him that I was special, too, that I could do things that he could not. He was a teenager at that time so I thought he might be a little more reasonable, but do you know what your father did?"

Adam shook his head.

"He called me a disgrace. He called me an embarrassment. I asked him why he believed such things, but he never answered, not really. He simply spouted nonsense to himself and questioned why I dared to claim to be his brother. Can you believe that? After everything I had been through, that's when I stopped caring about what Miro, Randor, Stefen, and the others thought. I decided that they did not disown me. I disowned them. I left them because _they_ were the cruel ones. _They_ were the ones who were a disgrace to the throne." He looked at Adam and whispered, "I've hated your family for so long now, Prince Adam. For a while, I even thought that I hated you."

Adam frowned at Keldor, not because he was scared of him but because he felt sorry for everything that had happened to his long lost uncle. He didn't know if Keldor's story was one hundred percent accurate, but he could tell that Keldor believed it and perception was a person's reality. And truly, he had no evidence to doubt him besides the love he had for the people involved. He hated to think of his family members being so cruel to someone, but strangely, he found it possible. He looked down at his feet as he pondered Keldor's last words. When he looked up again, he questioned, "Do you hate me now?"

Keldor frowned and then shook his head. "No, I do not hate you, Prince Adam. I see a lot of myself in you and I see that you are walking the line that I once walked. You are the outcast of that supposedly perfect family. I will not lie to you, Adam. I know what your father told you today. I was watching."

When Adam widened his eyes, he added, "Albeit, it was from a far distance, I assure you, but I heard it nonetheless. I heard him call you a disgrace as he had once called me. I know of the pain that can cause. I know what it's like to be different and to feel like there is no one who you can turn to or talk to. If you would allow me to, Adam, I would like to be that person for you. Perhaps, we can find acceptance and a family in each other."

Adam looked down for a moment as he contemplated what he should say, but Keldor himself gave the prince an out.

"The storm has stopped. Perhaps you should be on your way back to Eternos before your father gets angry at your absence again." Adam nodded as Keldor extended his hand. "Nephew?" He said it questioningly.

Adam stared at the hand for a mere second, feeling a little unsure, but eventually he shook it and said, "Uncle."

END OF CHAPTER TWO


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks, Foxy 11814 for letting me know you like the idea. I hope everyone will enjoy this chapter, too. I'm not trying to be a comment-hog or anything, but if you like this story please let me know. Should I continue?

**Chapter 3**

Prince Adam walked through the Evergreen Forest and looked around in shock at the devastation the storm had left behind. Only once before had he experienced a storm that strong, and it had been when he had found Orko in the Tar Swamp when he was just a kid. As he looked around now, he could see that puddles lined the trail he was following, some trees had been uprooted, and sticks and leaves littered the ground everywhere.

He was grateful that Keldor had taken him to his hut. He wouldn't have liked to experience the storm outside. He was still shocked that the little shelter had managed to stay erect when some large trees had not been able to stand the forceful winds and pelting rain. He knew there was an explanation, one that unsettled him even though he wasn't sure why. Obviously the hut had been made and held together through magical means. There was no other explanation and Keldor had admitted that he had magic.

Obviously Keldor had put his mother's lessons to good use. He had used it to protect them from the storm and despite the horrible story he had told, Keldor had not used his powers for revenge or evil. He was pretty sure of that since he had never heard of Keldor before. Surely, if he had meant to hurt anyone, his uncle would have tried long before now. Adam was sure that the only reason he knew about Keldor now was because of what had happened between him and his father.

The Prince of Eternia grimaced as he thought about what had happened earlier that day. He didn't know what he could do to get his relationship with his father back on track. He had left Eternos to clear his head so he could come up with a solution, but instead all he had accomplished was filling it with more things to contemplate and worry about. Sometimes, he thought he needed to resign to the fact that he had the worst luck possible.

Eternos was finally noticeable in the distance and he looked at it wearily. He didn't know what would happen once he had arrived home. He didn't know how he was going to face his father after their earlier talk. Thinking back to Keldor's story, he couldn't help but wonder if his uncle had had similar thoughts because of his father and grandfather when he was younger.

As he made a beeline for Eternos, he heard the familiar sounds of a Windraider high above him. He glanced up and noticed that the aircraft was circling around him. It was obvious whoever was aboard had been sent to find him or they had simply taken it upon themselves to do so. He wondered who it could be. Two people immediately popped into his mind as potential candidates and he knew without a doubt it would be one of them: Man-At-Arms or Teela.

When the Windraider landed, Adam was relieved to see that it was Duncan. He was ashamed to admit that he wasn't in the mood to hear Teela's chastising words and insults. He was sure she had heard about him missing his meeting with his father. He was sure Man-At-Arms knew, too and that was probably why he was looking at him with such a sympathetic stare.

"I'm okay, old friend," he assured him as his mentor climbed out of the Windraider and made his way to him.

"Thank the Ancients," replied Duncan, in a tone that actually spoke of his worry. "I knew earlier that you had left the palace and when you didn't come back before that storm hit, we were all worried."

"We?"

He nodded. "Me, Cringer, Orko, your parents…"

Prince Adam cringed at the final word spoken and Duncan noticed.

"Your parents are really worried. The queen is nearly beside herself."

He noticed Duncan didn't speak of his father specifically. He wondered what that meant. Regardless, he wanted to calm his mother's frazzle nerves so he said, "Let's go to the palace quickly, then. I don't want her to worry any longer than necessary."

They both climbed into the aircraft and in a matter of moments, they were landing on the palace grounds. Because of Man-At-Arms' words he had almost expected to see his mother waiting for them, but he wasn't disappointed when he discovered that she wasn't. Instead, he looked towards his mentor and said, "I'm going to go inside to see if I can find my mother."

Duncan nodded in agreement and he went inside.

The first place he searched had been the throne room. He stuck his head inside cautiously just in case his father was also there. He was surprised to find that the room was completely empty. That told him that wherever they were, they were probably together, so the next place he went was his father's office. His secretary was sitting in the outer office, so he greeted her as merrily as he could muster and asked, "Is my father inside?"

"No, he hasn't stopped by to do any paperwork today."

He nodded and headed towards their bedrooms. That was the only other place he knew to look. Slowly, he approached his parents' door and lifted his hand slowly to knock, but before he could he heard their voices within.

"He has to straighten up, Marlena. I won't be around forever and he needs to take charge of his life and then the kingdom. It's time he started keeping his promises, showing up on time, and acting like a prince and a young man should. Today was not the first time this happened and you know it. I have tried talking to him. I have tried to give him space. Now, I'm going to try a little tough love."

"Tough love? Is that what I heard in the courtyard today? Tough love?"

"I didn't know you heard."

"Yes, I did and it was uncalled for, Randor! That had to hurt our son's feelings and that's probably why he ran off with that storm coming. What if he's out there somewhere hurt? How would feel about your words then?"

"Marlena, maybe I shouldn't have said them."

There was a silence that seemed to last forever. Then, Adam heard a mumble. His father was speaking softly, so he pressed his ear to the door.

"…but I meant them. No matter how awful it sounds I have to be truthful and I have to think about what's best for the kingdom. Adam is not what is best for them right now. The Ancients know I don't like saying these things, but princes of the past have been set aside and looked down on because they were not what they were supposed to be. I've seen it with my own eyes, Marlena. If Adam doesn't get his act together, it will happen to him, too."

"What is that supposed to mean? Do you mean to tell me you will find someone else to be your successor?"

Adam didn't want to hear anymore. Because of Keldor's story, he knew that was exactly what his father was going to say. "_He had seen it with his own eyes_." King Randor had seen his own older brother get cast aside, because he did not live up to expectations. Unfortunately, in Keldor's case, it had nothing to do with actions. It was because he was an illegitimate child and noticeably half-alien. In Prince Adam's case, it was his actions.

He backed away from his parents' door and went to his own bedroom. Tears that he refused to let fall gathered in his eyes and for the first time, he felt what might be anger. The only problem was he didn't know where to direct it. He could direct it at his father, but he knew he wasn't completely to blame. If his father knew the truth, this wouldn't be happening at all. He knew that.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone else's voice. He quickly shot to his feet.

"I told you that you were walking the line I did. I knew it was only a matter of time before talks of someone else succeeding to the Eternian throne would begin. Do you believe me now? Do you believe my story?"

Adam stared at Keldor in disbelief and questioned, "How did you get in here? How did you know what they were talking about?"

The other smiled a little self-righteously and answered, "I do have magic, remember." Then without a pause, he asked again, "Do you believe me now, Prince Adam?"

"I never said I didn't," he mumbled as he sat back down on his bed. It was the safest answer he could give.

Keldor walked closer to Adam and sat beside him. "Do you need to talk? I'm willing to listen if you want to."

Adam shrugged. He didn't know what to say even if he wanted to.

Keldor slipped an arm around his shoulders and said, "If you don't want to talk, perhaps you'd like to hear more about the ways in which we're alike. Maybe you'd like to hear more about how Eternia became the planet you know today. In my childhood, the planet was quite safe. Children hadn't needed to fear monsters or the like hurting them. Would you believe those events I told you earlier started it all?"

Adam merely watched him and mumbled, "I'm listening."


	4. Chapter 4

More thanks goes to my new reviewers as well as the old ones. I am so glad that you're enjoying the story. I would like to respond to Hazza. Filmation, the cartoon, never talked about Keldor. The minicomic in the 1980's did, however. Since I am basing this solely on Filmation's _He-Man_, I'm not going to include that backstory in this. I didn't particularly like it for some reasons. I would state why, but it might spoil this story, so I won't. Thank you for your comments, though. You inspired me to go look it up to make sure I was right. =)

**Chapter 4**

Keldor felt cold to the touch. His uncle had his arm around his shoulders and he felt like shivering at the coolness that penetrated through the other's clothes. He wasn't sure if that was his imagination or if it was a trait that his uncle really did possess because he was an Infinitian. He guessed that's what his people would be called. Regardless, he was uncomfortable by their closeness, so he quickly stood and moved one of the chairs in the room near his bed so he could face Keldor. He knew it would look like he was giving the man his undivided attention, and truthfully, he would be. He was actually interested in what else his uncle had to say, and anything that would get his mind off of what his mother and father were discussing right now was worth it.

When their eyes met after he sat down, Keldor began to speak.

"When Randor and I were kids, we didn't have to worry about Skeletor."

Adam nodded. He knew this, but there had been other dangers. Count Marzo was around a little longer than Skeletor and there also was the Enchantress: Miro's greatest enemy supposedly. But he kept his mouth shut. He decided like before he would allow Keldor to tell his tale his way again.

"Would you believe it, Adam, if I told you that Skeletor wasn't always the man that you know now? He wasn't even remotely close to what you see nowadays."

He nodded again. "Yes," he answered, "I believe no one is truly born evil. Instead, it is created by situations and circumstances. I've never been told about Skeletor's origins really, but I do know he was originally a member of the Horde."

Keldor stood up and exclaimed, "Bah! That's not true at all! He was already 'Skeletor' by the time he met Hordak!"

Adam lifted a brow at his words. "What do you mean? You mean Skeletor wasn't always 'Skeletor'? That he was someone else?"

His uncle looked a little frustrated at first, but then he shrugged ever so slightly and answered, "Yes, he didn't always go by that name. Believe it or not, he still doesn't all of the time. It's just that so few people today know who he truly is."

"But you do?"

"I told you that I lived in the Dark Hemisphere for much of my life, Adam. You know Skeletor rules in that domain."

The prince grimaced. "Yes, I suppose he does. So, you've interacted with Skeletor?"

He nodded.

"And, this story that you're telling me now comes from him? No offense, Uncle, but I don't want to hear anything Skeletor has to say. He spreads nothing but lies and bends truths. I'm honestly shocked that you believe him."

Keldor smiled a little indulgently. "I am not going to tell you anything that I have been told. I will only tell you what I've seen with my own two eyes. How about that?"

He was reluctant. Here was a man who had suddenly appeared out of thin air into his bedroom, who was obviously watching the palace very closely, and he just admitted that he had some kind of relationship with Skeletor. He didn't know if they were friends, business partners, or what, but no matter what it was, it was something he wanted to have absolutely nothing to do with. "I don't know," he answered aloud. "No offense, but I'm not exactly comfortable with the fact that you're friends with Skeletor."

Keldor laughed loudly. He seemed genuinely amused. "Oh my, nephew!" he exclaimed through his merriment. "I assure you that Skeletor and I are not friends. I simply know who he truly is and how he became the supposed monster that you know today. I thought you might find it of interest since you could find yourself walking a similar path one day."

With a sigh, Adam relented. "Okay, you can tell me his story and who he really is." That would be some valuable information.

Keldor shook his head and replied, "I don't know if I'll be doing the latter. I want to tell you his story first and THEN I'll ask you a question. When I get the answer, I might tell you who he truly is. It depends on what you say."

Adam waited patiently for Keldor to begin.

=)=)=)

"Skeletor is from Infinita, Adam. Well, in a way. He was born on Eternia, but his mother was from that planet. You see, he and I have that in common, hence the blue skin. I'm sure you've noticed."

He nodded. He did have that suspicion. "So, you two found a mutual respect in that?" he questioned.

Keldor eyed him for a moment and said, "Let's just say I don't bother him and he doesn't bother me. But I'm not telling you this to give you that bit of information. I'm just giving you a little background. Anyway, Skeletor lived with his mother here on Eternia for a time. It was then that Skeletor learned and practiced magic. Like I did, he heard stories of magic and the great power here on Eternia. His mother was gravely ill for a very long time. The people of Eternos didn't care and they didn't come to help, even when Skeletor went to them for help."

"What?" Adam cried. "Do you mean to tell me that Skeletor came to Eternos to ask for help for his mother when he was a young man and he was refused?"

Keldor tilted his head and didn't answer directly. He continued with his story. "Because of that, his mother knew she probably wouldn't hold onto life for much longer. At first Skeletor had pleaded with Miro, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't want to have anything to do with an Infinitian because of what happened with me. He didn't want his father to hear about him being with her, so he refused to help. Skeletor, still naïve and gullible, thought there was one person he could plead and reason with. He went to Randor. He received the same dirty treatment, once again because of their past with me…"

Adam stood up and shook his head. "My father would never turn away someone who was pleading for help!" he stated firmly.

Keldor remained seated and calm. "You don't know the Randor that I do, Adam. I realize that he's your father and that you hate to hear these things, but tell me, did you expect your father to act as he did today? Did you expect him to have talks about finding another heir to the throne today? He is capable of many things that he has kept hidden from you, from everyone. Believe me when I tell you that Randor has not told you everything he knows about Skeletor. I assure you of that."

Adam sat back down, but he still shook his head a little. He had every bit of confidence that despite what Keldor had said earlier, his uncle was telling him Skeletor's version of the events. How could Keldor have witnessed this with his own two eyes if he was no longer living at the palace when this occurred? He was reluctant to hear anymore.

"Because she knew she didn't have much longer to live, she gave him something, something which she told him would give him great power, something in which she had stolen. She trained him on it, taught him how to fight with it…how to perform magic with it."

Adam didn't need to be told what it was. He knew Keldor was referring to Skeletor's Havoc Staff.

"Because Skeletor's mother died, he vowed to conquer Eternia and seek revenge on those who had caused her death. The very night she died, he used the weapon to transform himself into the Skeletor that you know."

Adam twitched a little as he mentioned Skeletor 'transforming' himself. "Can Skeletor ever go back to who he was before?"

Keldor flashed him a small grin, or at least Adam thought he did. It was gone in an instant.

He continued to ask, "What I mean is can he transform himself at will?"

Keldor nodded. "Yes, though he does stay Skeletor most of the time nowadays. He always has to be prepared for the next battle. Not only does he have to worry about He-Man and your father's soldiers, he has to worry about his own help backstabbing him."

Adam stared at Keldor for a little longer. He was getting a very bad feeling and he wished Keldor would leave. He needed to think, because he didn't know what to believe and his mind was jumping to crazy conclusions, wondering if Keldor could be…

It couldn't be. His father, the Sorceress, Duncan, someone would have told him surely! That's the kind of thing you don't keep from someone, because a fact like this dropped at the wrong moment would be the kind of bombshell that would cause a lot of damage in many different ways. He breathed deeply, braced himself, and asked himself, "Who is Skeletor really, Uncle?"

As luck would have it, just as Keldor opened his mouth, a loud knock sounded on his door.

"Adam, it's me and your mother. We wish to speak with you." The king turned his doorknob and walked into the room.

Adam, however, didn't have his eyes on his parents. He had turned to watch Keldor who had backed away to a curtain where the room was somewhat dark. He faded away in that location and he watched in awe. After a moment, when he was sure Keldor was really gone, he turned around to see his father standing there as white as a ghost, staring at the curtain.

He watched his father blink rapidly for a few seconds and then he turned his attention to his son. "Was that…?" He stopped talking and tried again. "Who was in your room just now?"

Adam shook his head, but before he could get a word out, Randor raised his voice a little and yelled, "Don't lie to me, Adam! I need to know who that was!"

To say he was shocked was an understatement. Adam knew from his father's expression that he knew who it had been. He watched his father carefully as he whispered what the king wanted to know. "His name is Keldor."

King Randor squeezed his eyes shut and brought a hand to his face. He turned even paler and Adam didn't even think that was possible before. After a moment the king snapped his eyes open and snapped, "I want you to have nothing to do with him, Adam, do you understand me?"

Once again he found himself with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. His father sounded angry.

"Has he told you anything?" the king suddenly asked. "Why was he here? What was he talking to you about?"

Adam could hear the worry in his father's voice, and he thought he heard a little guilt there too. Could it be that Keldor was telling the truth at least about his story? He didn't know what to believe.

Regardless, he answered his father and he watched him intently for his response. "He said he was your brother," he almost whispered.

His father flinched.

END OF CHAPTER FOUR


	5. Chapter 5

Once again, thank you for the positive reviews. I hope you like where I'm taking this story!

**Chapter 5**

The moment was filled with an intense and awkward silence. It almost made Adam wish he hadn't said anything at all about Keldor's claims. His father got almost a crazed look in his eyes as he turned to Marlena for a brief second and then back to face him. "He is NOT my brother, Adam, and I don't want to hear you say that ever again!" he said calmly but fiercely. It was so uncharacteristic for the King of Eternia he knew and had grown up with.

Not knowing if he should respond to this fury his father was displaying or not, he looked down at the floor. It was a submissive move that he hoped would calm the other. Unfortunately, this time it didn't work like it usually did.

"Have I made myself clear, Adam? I don't want you talking to him and I do not want him mentioned in my palace again! Do you understand?"

Adam looked up cautiously, and even though he knew he'd probably regret his next words, he said it anyway. "I understand, Father, but tell me why he would make such outlandish claims if they're not true?"

"Claims?" the king then questioned. "What other _claims_ has he made?"

He tilted his head towards the ground and answered calmly, "He claims to know Skeletor's real identity. Keldor says he wasn't always Skeletor and that he can transform himself. Keldor was thinking about telling me who he really is before you walked in." He paused for a moment and then whispered, "He said you haven't told me everything you know about Skeletor. He also implied that the reason Skeletor has such a problem with us and the rest of Eternia is because no one helped him when his mother was ill. Is this true?"

King Randor turned his back on his son abruptly and looked at his wife. "My own son is questioning my integrity!"

Both Adam and Marlena gasped in response to his words. "No, Father!" he exclaimed anxiously. "I am not questioning your integrity! I merely want to understand what's going on!"

The king turned around and stated firmly, "He is lying, Adam. He is not my brother and his mother's death is not my fault."

"So, she did die. There is some truth in…"

"I do not want to discuss this anymore, Adam. This Keldor looks for ways to cause trouble and now he's trying it with you. Do not listen to anything he tells you."

"But…"

"NO!" the king practically shouted.

Adam quieted and looked down at the ground again obediently. He heard his father sigh and then mumble, "Adam, he is a plague on this family and I do not want you to get caught up in the web of lies that he spins everywhere he goes with everyone he touches. What I want to know is why he suddenly took such an interest in you. Is this the first time you've interacted or has he been here before?"

He lifted his eyes again. "We just met today. He helped me escape the earlier storm—he provided me shelter. As for why he has taken an interest me, I only know what he told me."

When both the king and queen tilted their head slightly in interest, he grimaced. He didn't know what their reaction would be. "He said that he and I are a lot alike. He said that's the reason why you and I have problems getting along from time to time."

He noticed his father's entire body suddenly straightened rigidly. Randor frowned and asked, "What does he know about our relationship? He doesn't know anything, Adam. He doesn't know you or me at all!"

Adam glanced over the king's shoulder and stared at the wall. He couldn't look at his father as he said his next words. Softly, he replied, "It seems like he does. He said he wasn't the ideal prince and that's why he was ousted. He said I'm walking that path; then, when I got back to the palace, I heard you and mother discussing someone else succeeding you to throne. He was right."

Marlena gasped.

Randor stared at him for a long time without saying a single syllable. Then, he admitted, "I will admit Adam that your mother and I discussed the hardships a prince must go through and that I had seen other princes lose their place in society because they didn't keep their integrity, but I have never said that I wanted someone else on the throne. You are my son, Adam. Yes, you have to work on some not-so-flattering traits about yourself, but I have not made any decisions."

Adam let out a shaky breath. The king's words made him think that his father hadn't made the decision in any direction. He hadn't made the decision that Adam would be succeeding him either. That thought hurt the prince deeply. He didn't think he had done anything so horrible that it would make his father think he would be unworthy of the throne. He stared at his feet silently for a moment and then he said abruptly to change the subject, "Tell me about Keldor, Father. I need to know since he's approaching me with all of this nonsense. I need to know how to refute his claims. I need to know."

Silence pervaded the room once again. Then, Randor shook his head and looked away from him. "There is nothing to tell," he said tersely.

Adam knew he and his father didn't always see eye-to-eye, but there was one thing that he knew for certain: his father could never meet anyone in the eye when he felt like he had to lie.

His father was lying to him.

This was the first time that he could remember anything like this happening ever. Could some of Keldor's claims be true? Why else would his father lie to him? There was obviously something that his father wasn't telling him. Keldor was at least right about that!

He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. That meant that there was something to know that no one included him on. No one—not Man-At-Arms, the Sorceress, his mother, or his father—trusted him with the truth about Keldor. Even if the man truly wasn't his uncle, shouldn't they have told him about this potentially dangerous threat? He thought he and Adora had been the only ones in his family with secrets, but now that he knew that wasn't the case, he didn't know how to feel about it. Did he have the right to feel mad when he had secrets that he didn't share?

His mind quickly told him that his secrets were for the greater good of Eternia. Whatever his father knew about Keldor or Skeletor couldn't possibly be on the same scale as his. His father simply didn't want to tell him because it was embarrassing or unflattering. It wasn't right that the Sorceress and Man-At-Arms had asked him to keep so many secrets and protect them and yet not tell him everything there was to know. What kind of trust was that?

He looked up at his father one more time before he turned around and went to his bed. He sat down and stared at his parents silently. Randor and Adam locked eyes one more time before the king and queen turned to leave. When his parents got into the hall, Randor turned to him one last time and said, "Remember, stay away from Keldor and do not listen to him."

After his parents walked off, the prince simply stared into the hallway. He wanted to know the truth. He wanted to know who this Keldor really was. He wanted to know who Skeletor really was. He wanted to know why his father was lying to him. And, he wanted to know why the Sorceress and Man-At-Arms never told him anything about Keldor's existence or Skeletor having an alter ego like he did? He didn't doubt for a second that both of his mentors knew all and had never bothered to tell him.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE


	6. Chapter 6

I'm glad everyone thinks this story is still going well. Thanks!

**Chapter 6**

Adam stepped into Duncan's private workshop and scanned the room with his eyes for his father's man-at-arms. He wanted to talk to him. Usually when he had such a desire, it was to talk about his latest adventure as He-Man or to ask him to accompany him on a quest. Those weren't the reasons today. Instead, he was there to get the truth, a truth he was sure Man-At-Arms knew. Because of that surety, he felt something akin to anger towards his friend. He tried to control the impulse, but he simply couldn't. He had been betrayed by both of his teachers.

He couldn't see Man-At-Arms, but he could hear him. On the other side of the room there was a door that led out to the lot where they kept their Windraiders and Attacktracks. He knew the inventor had to be in there tinkering with one of the vehicles, because he could hear a clang every so often. Stepping into the workshop, Adam quickly made his way across the room.

Once he was outside, he saw Duncan under an Attacktrack which was propped up on some kind of stilt. "Are you sure that's safe?" he asked abruptly, not announcing his presence. Regardless of whether he was mad at the man or not, he didn't want to see him get hurt. Duncan had taught him not to work on such projects by himself, so shouldn't Duncan take his own advice?

As soon as Adam asked the question, he heard a sharp bang and a groan. Soon, Man-At-Arms wiggled out from under the Attacktrack. He held a hand to his helmet, even though they both knew the action didn't help any of the pain he was feeling at that moment. "Are you all right?" the prince asked.

Duncan nodded once. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just surprised when I heard you. I hit my head."

"Sorry," he replied, honestly meaning it.

It took a moment, but Man-At-Arms finally looked at him. In that moment, Adam could see the concern grow in the other man's eyes. He was glad, because he knew Duncan would be the one to lead them into the conversation he wanted to go into.

"Adam," questioned Duncan, "what's wrong? Has something happened?"

He could do nothing for the moment but nod. He scrutinized his friend for a moment, wondering why the other had kept this from him. When Man-At-Arms finally got up and started to walk towards him, Adam backed up a little and asked abruptly, "Why didn't you ever tell me about Keldor?"

The soldier's reaction was almost comical. His mouth dropped open in astonishment and his eyes became as wide as saucers. "What?" he gasped; "Where did you hear about him?"

The prince shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does," Duncan replied. He walked in front of Adam and stared at him intensely.

"I heard about him from my father..." Adam stopped speaking for a moment, but he could tell that Man-At-Arms knew he had more to say. "…and from Keldor himself."

A pin drop could have been heard at that moment. Duncan continued to stare at him unbelievingly and Adam stared right back, waiting patiently for an answer.

Eventually, the elder shook himself out of his temporary vegetative state. "You've met Keldor?" he questioned.

He simply nodded.

"Adam, you have to stay away from him. You…" His voice became strangled for a moment and he cleared it. "What did Randor say?"

"He said the same, that I should stay away from Keldor, but he didn't say why. Father only said that he was a plague on this family. Oh and he denied that Keldor was his brother."

Duncan visibly flinched.

Adam stood tall and asked, "What's the truth, Duncan? Keldor told me that he was my uncle. Who is he really, and why does everyone want me to stay away from him?"

Man-At-Arms turned away from Adam abruptly.

"Duncan?"

The soldier put some distance between them before he turned back around. "I don't know if I'm the person who should answer that question."

"I think you're the ideal person," Adam stated with complete determination.

Duncan shook his head as he stared down at the floor. He seemed to be almost…was it scared? Adam didn't know, but he couldn't back down.

"I think I have the right to know, Duncan. If he really is such a threat, as He-Man, I should know. My job is to protect Eternia, but I can't do that if I don't know all of the facts. I have Keldor's version of things, but I want the other side. In fact, I need to have it, because the things that Keldor says…" He didn't say anymore. He didn't have to. He could tell that Man-At-Arms got the message loud and clear.

His mentor stepped closer to him and whispered, "I can't be the one to tell you, Adam. If Randor didn't, it's certainly not my place to." Adam started to frown, but Duncan quickly added, "But maybe the Sorceress will feel differently. Let's see what she thinks."

* * *

The Sorceress stared down at her visitors from her throne. Adam knew that she was aware of why they were there. He could tell by just looking at her. She appeared to be sympathetic which meant that she was probably going to refuse to tell him anything. Regardless, he trudged forward. He pursed his lips and without greeting or warnings of the topic to come, he asked, "Will you tell me about Keldor?"

The question hung in the air for at least half a minute. Deciding to take another tactic, he questioned, "Well, if you won't tell me that, would you at least tell me about Skeletor?"

It was almost like Duncan had seen a rat run across his boot. He had never seen the man jump so high before. Clearly, the question startled his teacher, but he didn't know why. He turned to him and stated, "Keldor told me what happened to Skeletor's mother. Is it true that no one helped him and that's why he holds such a grudge against the people of Eternia?" He tilted his head to the floor for only a moment. "Is he justified to have such animosity? I'm not saying his actions are morally right in any circumstance, but does he really have understandable reasons?" He stopped speaking for a moment and asked the one question that had caught his attention more than anything else: "Is it true that Skeletor is an alter ego of someone, just like He-Man's mine?"

He waited patiently for an answer, and finally the Sorceress closed her eyes and nodded her head almost fretfully.

What was she confirming? That Skeletor was really someone else in disguise? That Skeletor had justifiable reasons for his actions? What? He didn't have to wait long for that answer.

The Sorceress reopened her eyes and descended down the throne steps. When she reached Adam, she said softly, "I had hoped this day would never come."

Since he had made the decision to find out about Keldor and Skeletor, he hadn't worried or been scared in the slightest until that very moment. If the Sorceress had hoped to keep this from him forever, he knew it had to be bad or at least very upsetting. "What is it?" he asked.

She met his gaze confidently and did not look away even for a moment. "Adam, I fear the answers to these questions might change everything. It might change your outlook on everything. Are you sure you want to know?"

That was the big question. The Sorceress was warning him, telling him of the dangers. In the end, he knew he had to know. He was a fighter for truth and what was right. Even if the truth revealed things that he wouldn't like, he knew he had to hear it anyway. "Yes," he answered simply.

The Sorceress looked at Man-At-Arms for a moment before she turned back to him and finally answered. "Yes, Adam, Skeletor really is someone else, and yes, he holds animosity towards a lot of us because of what happened to his mother, but that's not his only reason. He craves not only revenge but power."

Adam could do nothing but nod. His heart seemed to be lodged into his throat and no matter what he did, he couldn't swallow it back down. So, Keldor was right, at least to a certain extent. But, how much of it was the truth and how much of it was Skeletor's version of the events? As soon as those questions left his mind, another crept up that he had pondered earlier. He stared at the Sorceress and dared himself to ask it.

"Is Skeletor really Keldor, and is he my uncle?"

Like before, the Sorceress closed her eyes and Adam took that as a confirmation to at least one of his questions. The question was which one? He hoped that it wasn't confirmation for both, because that would be devastating. Skeletor is really He-Man's uncle? They were family? That couldn't be right! The deities wouldn't really allow such to occur, would they? Suddenly, he was afraid.

In a last minute of hope, Adam clung desperately to his belief in his father. King Randor was the best man he knew after all and he couldn't have been lying about this. Yes, he knew earlier that his father had been lying about _something_, but that something couldn't have been about Keldor being his brother. After all, the king had adamantly denied it flat out. He had been insistent, so much so that he knew the big secret had to be that Skeletor was really Keldor, and it was this big secret because the Royal Family of Eternos had done nothing to help him in the past. It was a dirty secret, an unflattering moment in their history…

That had to be truth, because the other stood beyond the prospect of belief.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm sorry it took so long to write this chapter. I've been busy with papers for college.

**Chapter 7**

Adam waited patiently for the Sorceress to clarify what she was confirming. Was Keldor his uncle or Skeletor? He wouldn't even contemplate the possibility that Keldor could be both. The Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, and even his family wouldn't keep a secret like that from him.

So, as the Sorceress stared at him regretfully and nodded, he didn't look away when she stated, "Keldor is your uncle."

He closed his eyes. So, his father had lied to him. His father had claimed profusely that the man was not his brother, and yet, he was. He didn't know how to feel about that, but he was grateful that the other question wasn't true. He let out a sigh of relief, but he almost choked on it when the Sorceress added, "And…"

"No," he gasped as he looked down at the ground. _"Please let it be something else_!" his mind cried out. He felt someone grab his shoulder tightly, so he looked over and saw that it was Man-At-Arms. It was at that moment that he knew for sure. "No," he mumbled again and shook his head.

"Adam," the Sorceress said to get his attention. He looked up and with the most sorrowful expression he had ever seen her have, she whispered, "I'm afraid your suspicions are correct. Keldor is Skeletor."

He felt like he couldn't breathe. The room started spinning and he knew he needed to sit down. Not seeing a chair in the throne room besides the Sorceress', he abruptly dropped to the ground. He heard both of his mentors shout his name, but he ignored them. He brought his knees up to his chest and hid his face in them as he wrapped his arms around his legs.

Skeletor was his uncle! It was true! He hadn't wanted to believe it but it was. And, it changed almost everything! It made him question everything! He had always been raised to believe that family was one of the most important things in life and that it was imperative to always keep those members close, even in hard times. He let out a shaky breath. He had been fighting his uncle all this time. If he knew for certain that Keldor was a horrible person that worshipped evil, it might have been easier to bear and he would have been able to continue to fight…but he didn't know that. Not at anymore.

He found himself questioning for the first time who was really at fault. Who was the bad guy? Tears slipped down his cheeks as he thought about all the studies he had to prepare himself for the crown one day. One of the first lessons he learned is that when fights occur, both sides always believe they are right and justified in their actions. Both believe that the other did something wrong that started everything. What if…what if his grandfather and father drove Keldor to becoming Skeletor just like his uncle had insinuated? What if Keldor would have lived a happy life if they had just shown him a little affection and helped his mother when he had asked for it?

These questions made him wonder if perhaps King Miro and King Randor were the villains. They certainly were to Keldor.

He snapped his back straight and wiped at his face. "_No_," he told himself desperately, "_Skeletor has done horrible things. He has enslaved people, killed people, brought havoc upon others whenever he could…He's not innocent_." But his mind kept going back to the inquiry if Skeletor had been justified in his hatred. His mind kept asking him if Skeletor had been pushed into leading the life he now has. Adam had said so himself when he first met Keldor that he didn't believe anyone was born evil. Circumstances and situations made people turn down that path. When someone had been treated so poorly by the supposed just and moral people of the planet, who wouldn't think that perhaps the opposite side was really the good crowd? "Oh, Elders," he mumbled as more tears slipped down his face.

"Adam," the Sorceress said, bending down in front of him and touching his hand lightly, "I'm so sorry that you had to find out this way. Trust me when I tell you that the strife against your uncle is necessary and things aren't as clear-cut as he would like you to believe."

Adam jumped up and snapped, "Yeah, well, I now know things aren't as clear-cut as _you_ and my father have led me to believe either."

He turned away so he could regain control of his emotions. Unfortunately, now he was facing Man-At-Arms, and the soldier could see his raw and pain-filled expression.

"Adam," Duncan said, grabbing his shoulders, "I know this has to be hard, but tell us what you're thinking. Ask us questions so we can help you settle the chaos that I know your mind has to be in right now."

The prince took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he finally calmed, he reopened them and stated softly, "I have nothing to ask right now. I just…I feel numb. I feel like I don't even know you, my father, or my grandfather. I…why didn't you tell me this long ago?"

The Sorceress walked around him, so she could also see his face. "We didn't want to confuse you."

He wrinkled his face in sorrow and replied, "No, you wanted me to become He-Man and take care of the mistakes that everyone made before I was even born! All of you made Skeletor and now you want me to clean up your mess!" He shook his head. "How do I know that you don't deser…" He stopped his words and breathed deeply again. He knew his question would have been unfair. No one deserved the pain and destruction that Skeletor wanted to inflict. He knew what would happen if Skeletor gained control of Castle Grayskull and the throne of Eternia. It wouldn't be pretty, but there had to be other ways to resolve this issue with him.

He stood tall and faced them calmly again. "When his mother died and Skeletor came into existence, what did you and my father do to try to rectify things with him?"

"What?" Man-At-Arms asked, clearly confused.

He closed his eyes for a brief second and explained, "Did anyone try to make amends? Did anyone apologize to him? Did anyone do anything besides fight with him? I have been raised to believe that there are better ways to handle conflict than fighting and that you should only fight when you must. Did anyone try to find another way? If Keldor was driven to be Skeletor by the lack of compassion from others, wouldn't it have made sense to start showing it to him then and admit that you were wrong?"

Man-At-Arms shook his head and replied, "Adam, it's obvious you don't know the whole story. Yes, Keldor has had a hard life and it has been a sad one, but I'm sure that he has painted himself far more sympathetic and innocent than he really was."

"It doesn't matter," insisted Adam firmly. "Did anyone try to reach out to him is what I want to know?"

When they didn't speak, he knew the answer. All this time, he thought Skeletor was a being who simply chose to enjoy evil. Despite that, even when they fought in the past, Adam had never believed Skeletor was all bad. There had been moments when he had seen Skeletor do something kind for those in need. Yes, Skeletor had pretended to hate it. Sometimes he had even hoped that others hadn't noticed. Those moments showed him that Skeletor was able to be a good person if he really wanted to be. Perhaps pain and loneliness made him choose a path of destruction. If he felt as though everyone hated him, perhaps he felt the need to hate them right back. Adam may not agree with that logic, but he could understand it. And, it gave him hope…

Perhaps Skeletor could be reached. Perhaps, if he had a friend and a family, Keldor could rise from Skeletor's ashes once again and be the person he was meant to be when he was born. Everyone deserved a second chance. He preached that enough as Prince Adam and He-Man, and he knew now that Skeletor had never honestly been given that chance. Sure, He-Man had offered it a few times, but it had always been offered with the belief that Skeletor would turn it down. He never actually tried wholeheartedly to convert him.

Perhaps now he could.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN


	8. Chapter 8

I wanted to thank the story's new followers and recent comments. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.

**Chapter 8**

Adam walked away from the Sorceress and Man-At-Arms. He heard their sharp intakes of breath and the sounds of their footsteps following him. "Where are you going?" he heard Duncan ask.

Even though he knew answering that question would probably make things harder, he wouldn't lie to them as they had done to him for so very long. He looked back temporarily, kept moving, and stated calmly, "I'm going to do what you should have done long ago. I'm going to talk to Keldor—I'm going to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem."

"And, how are you going to do that?" the Sorceress questioned. She walked to his side and said, "Adam, it could be dangerous."

He stopped moving and turned to face her. "He holds no animosity towards me," he replied calmly; "He told me as much when we were talking earlier. If he truly wanted to hurt me, he could have done so during the storm. We were alone in a magical dwelling that he had created. He could have taken revenge against my father and grandfather at that moment, but he didn't." He looked off to the side and stared down a corridor in the castle that led towards the Halls of He-Man. "I think he's reaching out to me. I think he wants to have a relationship with someone who is a member of his actual family. Why not me?"

Duncan and the Sorceress gasped. They were clearly astonished at his words, but he didn't care. He turned around to walk away, but the Sorceress' following words stopped him cold. "The Champion of Castle Grayskull cannot be friends with the very man who wishes to take this castle over and destroy the entire planet."

He pivoted to face her again and rationalized, "If I can reach him, if I can show him that not everyone on this planet is against him, maybe he will no longer be the threat that you perceive him to be. Don't you see? We can stop this war peacefully."

"Adam," Man-At-Arms said regretfully, "this isn't going to work. I know Keldor—this is a ploy to gain your sympathy and trust. You are too important to make this mistake. I suspect if he knew who you truly were, he'd double his efforts ten-fold."

Adam thought about Duncan's words momentarily as he stared at the ceiling. "Maybe you're right. Maybe all of this is a ploy to get close to me, but I have a hidden agenda, too. He doesn't know that I'm He-Man and he doesn't know that I know he's Skeletor. As he's trying to gain my trust, maybe I will gain his. Maybe we could turn this all around without the great battle that you have been preparing me for all this time. Maybe things don't have to go that far if he knows someone cares. I have to try."

"Trying and succeeding are two very different things," the Sorceress warned.

He didn't hesitate in walking away this time. He merely called over his shoulder, "But at least I can say that I tried if it fails, unlike some people."

* * *

The ride back to the palace was made in silence. Adam could feel Duncan's stare every so often, but he refused to look at him. He knew the elder would try to talk him out of his plans. He knew Man-At-Arms considered his intentions dangerous and perhaps a little foolhardy, but he honestly believed everyone had left him with no other choice. What made it worse was the knowledge that they knew this would be his reaction. The Sorceress had stated in Castle Greyskull that she had wanted to keep it from him forever, that it would change everything, that he would question everything…

Then, why hadn't she tried to resolve the situation herself?

As the Eternian Palace of Eternos came into view, he heard Man-At-Arms finally speak. "What are you going to tell your father?"

He didn't look at him. "What can I possibly tell him?" Adam questioned. "If I tell him of my plans with Skeletor, he will only seek to stop me. He doesn't know that I'm Eternia's Champion, so he'll think I'm putting myself in a far more dangerous situation than I actually will be."

"That's where you're wrong," Man-At-Arms stated firmly. Adam was surprised at the intensity he heard in his teacher's voice. They finally met each other's gazes. "When you befriend Keldor, when you try to change the man he has become, you will merely be Adam. You will not have the powers of Greyskull protecting you."

"Just like Keldor won't be Skeletor," the prince countered.

"It's not the same," Duncan insisted steadfastly. "Keldor has powers, too. His powers are not so different from the Skeletor that you know so well. Just because he chooses to change his appearance and call himself by a different name does not mean he has the same restrictions as you do when you are your true self."

Adam turned away and stared at Eternos. "It doesn't matter," he stated again. "I have to try."

"So you keep saying, but Adam, what if this blows up in your face? You don't know about everything that has occurred. You don't know of the pain and torment he caused before Skeletor even came into existence. If you did, you would be a little more hesitant about your grand plans of absolution for Keldor."

Their conversation stopped as Duncan landed the Windraider. Once the aircraft was turned off, Adam turned to him and commanded, "Then, tell me. What do I need to know before I go to Keldor?"

"It's his own fault that his mother is dead, Adam," Duncan mumbled. "I bet he didn't tell you that. I'm sure he didn't tell you what he had done to your father before his mother had died."

Now, Adam was hesitant. "What did he do?"

Duncan sighed and said, "You really should be hearing this from Randor."

Adam rolled his eyes for the first time at his father. He surprised himself by doing it. Regardless, he didn't dwell on the action. Instead, he replied, "Father has lied to me already about Keldor, so I can't trust him to tell me the truth. Everything he says to me on that subject will be suspect right now."

"You're not being fair, Adam," Duncan chastised.

"Maybe not, but how do I know that? Tell me what you know and maybe I'll understand."

Duncan climbed out of the Windraider and motioned with his head for Adam to follow. Soon, they walked into the inventor's workshop and Duncan walked around the room, closing every possible exit and vents around the room. It was obvious he wanted their discussion to stay within those four walls. When the soldier finally turned back to the prince, he motioned with his hands for Adam to take a seat at his workbench.

He did and Duncan joined him.

Without any hesitation or preparation for what he was about to say, Duncan simply stated matter-of-factly, "Keldor's mother died because Skeletor used her illness as a ploy to capture and possibly kill Randor."

Adam widened his eyes but didn't say anything. He waited for the other to continue.

"Randor was about your age—nineteen, I believe—when Keldor had shown up in Eternos out of the blue. Supposedly, your father had actually been quite happy to see him. Keldor had disappeared a few years prior and no one had known where he had gone or why. When he returned, Keldor and he had immediately resumed their friendship where they had left off. I know Keldor claims that Randor was awful to him, but that was nowhere near the truth from my understanding. Granted, I wasn't around as much as I am now, but I've heard the story from many people and it is always exactly the same.

"A few weeks after Keldor's return, he had left supposedly to visit his mother for the weekend. He had promised Randor he would return and he did, but he had brought back some horrible news. He said his mother was dying and asking to see Prince Miro. Unfortunately, Miro had refused. I don't know why and I don't know the circumstances, but what I do know is that Randor felt sorry for the woman, so he offered to go in his father's place."

Duncan stared at Adam intensely and with a tinge of anger in his voice continued, "It was a trick. Keldor planned on capturing Miro and ransoming him for money and a place on the council. When Miro had declined, he had figured Randor would do just as well. Their friendship and camaraderie hadn't meant a thing to him. He had kept your father prisoner for a total of three days, before the Royal Guard, with the help of the Sorceress, saved your father. Keldor hadn't expected an attack while they were negotiating with the king and prince. When we showed up, he had been in the process of threatening Randor's life. It was during this rescue operation that Randor had discovered that Keldor's mother was not on her deathbed. She was getting along quite well and she had been astonished when she realized what her son had been doing. Of course, I have always been suspicious of that. How could she _not_ know Randor was there? Regardless, we got your father back.

"It was a few weeks later when Keldor came back to Eternos and like last time, he was claiming that his mother was terribly ill. He begged Randor and Miro to help her. He even requested that the Sorceress help her if they wouldn't. No one believed him. Everyone thought it was another ploy to attack and capture a member of the Royal Family or the Sorceress of Castle Greyskull. So, the Guard chased Keldor away while trying to capture him for his prior crimes.

That night, his mother died…and Randor has felt guilty ever since. I've told him numerous times that it wasn't his fault, that Keldor's initial lies is what caused the mistrust. Your father has carried that guilt for a long time, Adam. He tries to ignore it and has succeeded quite well, but it still hits him from time to time. That's why Keldor is always Skeletor to him and he no longer acknowledges the existence of Keldor as his brother."

Adam stared at his lap for several long moments before he lifted his head and said, "I'm sorry that my father has gone through so much. I remember how I felt when I thought I was responsible for someone's death. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially my own father, but I still don't understand why Father didn't tell me all of this! I get that he doesn't want to remember Keldor because it brings too much pain, but didn't he know that all of this would come out eventually?"

Duncan shrugged. "Maybe he hoped that it wouldn't. He's managed to keep this secret for over twenty years. That's quite a long time. But like I said, he ignored Keldor's existence and what happened entirely, so who is to say whether he really thought about the future. He blocked it all out, as did we all."

Adam stood, walked a few feet away, and then turned back to face him. "Regardless of this story, it still doesn't change much. Keldor still felt inferior to my father, he still holds a grudge against the people of Eternia for not helping him, and he has reached out to me for friendship. How can I not try?"

"It's a trick, Adam," Man-At-Arms supplied; "That's why. He's tricking you just like he tricked your father."

The prince frowned and whispered, "But how do you know that? How do you not know that this is one of those times when he genuinely wants help and camaraderie like he did the day his mother died? You don't. Isn't the moral of my father's story to take a chance when it comes to saving a life? Isn't that what my father did with Cymbeline and Orko didn't trust her? Why could he take this risk with her and not Keldor?" He shook his head. "It doesn't make sense."

"Keldor is evil, Adam," Man-At-Arms insisted. "That's the difference. Cymbeline was not—she was merely misguided and unable to see the truth until it was too late."

Adam groaned and stated determinedly, "No one is evil incarnate! I refuse to believe that! Keldor deserves a chance to change his ways! I think my family owes him that much!"

A loud voice interrupted their conversation and spat, "Owe him? You think this family owes him something?"

Man-At-Arms and Adam turned their heads to see King Randor standing in the doorway of the workshop. He must have overridden the system to let himself in, like Duncan had designed it to do for the king and queen. "Your Majesty!" Duncan exclaimed. "We did not see you there!"

Duncan's words were not acknowledged; instead, Randor remained focused on Adam. "I thought I told you not to say that name in my palace again! I do not want you to discuss him with Duncan or anyone else. I want you to forget that man ever existed!"

Adam replied hotly, "That's kind of hard to do, Father, since he's Skeletor!"

Randor gasped and then turned an irate stare onto Duncan.

The soldier bowed his head and said calmly, "I did not inform the prince of this fact, Your Highness. The Sorceress of Castle Greyskull did."

Randor turned back to Adam slowly and said with his face tilted towards the ground, "So, you've gone behind my back to discover the truth about Keldor."

Adam pressed his lips together tightly as he wrinkled his brow. He didn't know if he should respond, but eventually he did. "I didn't want to go behind your back, Father, but you refused to tell me anything. As the future King of Eternia, I felt that I had the right to know."

"It doesn't concern you," the king replied tersely.

"How does it not? Almost every day, we fight against him."

"_We_ don't. My Guard does, not you."

Adam crossed his arms in a clear sign of defiance against Randor's words. "That _might_ be true, Father, but Keldor is approaching me. He is trying to befriend me, so I think that fact alone makes it my business."

Randor did not back down. He stepped in front of him and declared angrily, "And, that is why I told you to stay away from him!"

"Like that would stop him!" Adam countered. "He appeared in my room, for crying out loud! How can I stop him if he really wants to speak with me? How can you?"

Randor's face reddened, but before the king could reply, Adam told him of his intentions. "Father, perhaps it is time that we settled things with Keldor. He is your brother despite how much you disclaim it. Why can't we talk to him and accept him? Maybe he can learn to forgive and be a part of our family."

The king's jaw dropped. He looked at Duncan with his eyes wide-open before turning back to Adam. "Are you mad?" he questioned, suddenly appalled. "Has Skeletor already gotten inside your head and contaminated it with the filth and lies he spreads? There is no way that he can be a part of this family, Adam! That won't happen ever!"

"Well, I'm going to try," Adam insisted stubbornly.

Randor wrinkled his nose in what might have been a look of disgust or contempt before he spat, "No, you will not!"

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Adam stared at his father disbelievingly. King Randor had never been so adamant about _not_ trying to end a conflict peacefully. He had always been a man of peace! How could he just stand there and insist on a war? Didn't he know what's what all of this conflict with Skeletor was building towards?

"We have a chance to end all of this," Adam insisted stubbornly. "All we have to do is show a little compassion and actually talk things through with him."

King Randor glared at him with something akin to disdain and snapped, "Show a little compassion? Adam, I showed that man quite a bit of compassion in my lifetime and what do I have to show for it? A guilty conscience; a stolen daughter; a continuous war; a bitter, life-long enemy; and now an obstinate son! I do not owe that man anything except contempt, and I order you as your king and father to stay away from him." The king frowned and suddenly took on the look of a saddened man who had no idea what to do. He tilted his head to the floor and mumbled, "I don't want him to use you to hurt me or my father. I know that's what he's trying to do, Adam, and it won't matter if he likes you or not. He will hurt you if he has to…just like he did with me, and the end result justifies his means to him, trust me."

The despair in his father's voice was obvious and Adam saw more in that one moment than he had in the rest of the conversation. His father was genuinely worried that something would happen to him. The king was scared that Keldor really was using Adam to seek retribution on what he deemed a crime committed by the Royal Family of Eternos.

Suddenly, Adam didn't know what to do. He sat down on Duncan's workbench again and stared up at his father. "What am I supposed to do, then? I doubt that he's going to stop visiting me."

The king stared at him for a few seconds before looking at Duncan. "We must contact the Sorceress," he announced.

"The Sorceress?" Adam questioned. "What on Eternia for?"

"Keldor is visiting you through magical means, so we must stop that intrusion. Perhaps the Sorceress knows how to block his magic somehow. Maybe she has some kind of protection spell that she could cast. It doesn't hurt to ask."

The king looked back at Man-At-Arms, so the soldier bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

When Duncan left the room, Randor stood in front of Adam and said, "You're making the right choice, son. Keldor is a person we both need to forget. He is Skeletor now—in fact, I'd say he was him long before he changed his appearance and there's no turning back from that."

Adam merely watched at his father and he could tell that the king had grown a little awkward at their silence. "Well, I need to get back to the throne room," he said eventually. "I also want to check up on Duncan to see if he's contacted the Sorceress. Will you be joining us soon?"

When the prince nodded, the king left the room, but before Adam could even wrap his mind around what had just happened, the sounds of someone clapping filled the room. Adam stood abruptly and looked around. "Who's there?" he called out, already knowing the probable answer.

He saw Keldor appear in the corner of the room slowly. He was still clapping with a sinister smile on his face. "Ah, Randor is still a talented liar! Bravo!" he cheered.

Adam didn't move. He didn't move farther away nor closer. Instead, he stared at his uncle and remarked, "He claims the same thing about you."

Keldor bowed his head slightly in acquiescence. "That is certainly true."

When he didn't expand on his statement, Adam questioned, "What's true? That you're a talented liar or that he claims that you are?"

"Both! There's no point in denying that since I heard that you now know that I'm Skeletor. Tell me Prince Adam, how do you feel about that? How do feel knowing that one of your father's greatest enemies is his own brother and your uncle?"

Adam admitted, "It doesn't feel good. I'd like to think that there is a way you and my father could work things out. You're family, after all."

Keldor shuddered and insisted with sudden anger, "There is no chance of that happening with Randor! He is too pompous and unforgiving for that to even be on the table!" He then calmed. "But, perhaps, that won't be true between you and me. Maybe we can reach an accord and when it is your time to take the throne, peace will once again befall on Eternia. What do you think?"

Adam walked over to him and replied, "I think that whatever you can do with me, you can also do with my father. He might be unwilling to try right now, but maybe if you gave him some kind of sign that you are willing to heal this relationship, he would relent. I know my father. He truly wants peace on Eternia and if he really believed that is what you're offering now, he would accept."

Keldor looked down and mumbled, "No, he wouldn't. I have tried over the years."

Adam groaned in frustration and announced, "You both are stubborn!"

The elder laughed and commented, "Call it a family trait. I see that you are the same way. Luckily, this time you're more on my side than you are his."

The prince widened his eyes at that remark. He stared at him as he realized the truth of Keldor's words. He was giving Skeletor more leeway and trust than he ever had before. Granted, it wasn't a lot, but that small margin of difference spoke volumes. He-Man had never spoken this kindly to Skeletor. Never did he let the mask of righteous superiority of goodness slip in front of the supposed Lord of Destruction, but he was now as Adam.

He met Keldor's luminous eyes that seemed to be growing more inhuman each time he saw them and asked softly, "What do you want from me?"

His uncle responded by extending his hand. "I want exactly what you stated earlier: I want friendship, camaraderie, and trust." When Adam raised his brow skeptically, he continued, "I know you can't give all of that to me right away, especially trust. I realize it must be earned, but I think you and I could possibly put aside the pain of the past and be a family to one another. What do you say, Prince Adam? Would you like to try?"

Forgetting about his father's request and even his own hesitancy before his uncle had shown up, Adam shook his hand and whispered, "Yes."

Keldor grinned triumphantly and announced, "Then, perhaps you would like to join me. I'd like to show you around and talk to you about what's going on in my life right now."

Adam cocked an eyebrow in surprise and the man laughed in response. "Where to?" the prince asked unsurely.

"Where else?" Keldor announced with glee. "Snake Mountain and the Dark Hemisphere!"

Those words shocked Adam more than anything else up to that point, but that was nothing compared to what happened next! Keldor pulled his overcoat to the side and whipped out a sword. Surprisingly, it looked almost exactly like the Sword of Power! Adam stared at it flabbergasted and remembered the story that he had been told earlier: supposedly, Skeletor's mother had stolen a powerful weapon and given it to her son when she had been teaching him magic in his youth. He had thought at the time that the filched weapon had been his Havoc Staff, but staring at the sword in his uncle's hand now, he wondered if he had been mistaken. Was it possible that there were more than two Swords of Power? Did Skeletor have a third? Was that why he was deemed the third most powerful being on Eternia, after himself and the Sorceress? Was that the reason why his powers augmented when he was on Castle Greyskull's grounds, like they had when the three of them joined forces against Evilseed?

He had a feeling his perceptions of reality was about to change once more…and for the worst if the Sorceress and Man-At-Arms had really kept something of this import from him _again_.

END OF CHAPTER NINE


	10. Chapter 10

A big thanks goes to those of you who are still reading and commenting on this story. I also want to give a shout out to Hazza. You got where I came up with the idea of Skeletor's sword so bravo! I hope everyone enjoys where I go from here.

**Chapter 10**

Adam stared at the sword in disbelief. He watched Skeletor hold it up in much the same manner that he did when he turned into He-Man. He held his breath and then noticed that Keldor was studying him intently. He lowered the sword and walked over to Adam. He gestured towards the bed, so Adam did as he suggested and took a seat on his mattress.

Keldor stood in front of him and held the sword up so Adam could see it more closely. "You seem interested in this sword," he observed. "Why?"

Adam swallowed. He surely couldn't reveal the true reason, so he was surprised at what came out of his mouth: "It looks exactly like He-Man's." Then, panic ensued—his mind raced to figure out what he else he could say. After all, if Keldor can turn into Skeletor with a sword from Castle Greyskull, then he would know He-Man was a product of another sword.

Meeting his uncle's gaze, he bit his cheek lightly before saying the first thing that made sense which popped into his mind. "Have you taken it from him?" His body relaxed as he thought, _"Yes, that's a good cover."_

Despite knowing the answer to his question already, he had a feeling it would lead to something he very much wanted to know, so he gave his undivided attention to the man.

His uncle didn't hesitate in the slightest to answer him. "Unfortunately, no, this is my sword."

Adam stood and walked to examine the sword even closer. "It's beautiful," he mumbled, continuing to give reasons why the Prince of Eternia would be so interested in it without revealing the actual truth.

Keldor nodded once and replied, "That, it is, Adam. But, it's more than just beautiful. It's powerful."

Adam stood as still as a statue before responding, "Yes, I see no poor craftsmanship. Whoever made it knew what they were doing."

Keldor laughed and stated with glee, "Indeed they did, Adam." He smiled at his nephew and moved away from him. "I want to let you in on a little secret, Adam. I want to show you what this sword does."

Adam sucked in a breath. This was it: the moment of truth.

Skeletor lifted the sword the same way he did and yelled, "By the power of Greyskull…I have the power!"

That cry, those words, told him everything he needed to know. The sword truly was from Castle Greyskull. That meant the Sorceress knew about this sword. She knew how he transformed. Why had she never told him? Didn't she know that information was important for him to know so he could keep his secret? Since Keldor had the ability to change just like he did, he would recognize the act.

Any slip-up he might have had all these years…Skeletor could have figured it out…

But he knew he couldn't let his anger show right now. Skeletor wouldn't understand it—he was expecting shock, which was what he would get. Adam walked in front of him and said, "So, the sword transforms you into Skeletor. It's a sword from Castle Greyskull? I heard what you said...it's unbelievable."

Skeletor nodded and replied, "It is, isn't it? Legend says that there are two Swords of Power. They had once been one, but the sword had supposedly held too much power. The Elders were convinced that the sword could make it possible for a single person to take over the entire universe, so they agreed to split it and its powers into two. It was already known at the time that there would be two wielders of the Sword of Power, but no one had suspected that it could happen at the same time until then."

Adam stared at the sword before turning back to his bed and sitting down. He ran his fingers through his hair as he bent forward. "How did you get the sword?" he asked.

He laughed a little and said, "That fool of a Sorceress gave it to my mother to give to me!"

Adam's mouth dropped open as he lifted his head to stare at Skeletor. "Why would she give it to you?"

He nodded and repeated, "Why, indeed." He moved to stand directly in front of the prince and added, "I suppose she knew it was inevitable. I was destined to carry this half of the sword."

Adam swallowed roughly and asked the question he feared. "Who holds the second?" He held his breath as he waited for an answer. If Skeletor knew he had the other sword, it would explain why Keldor had taken such an interest in him. Skeletor wanted both swords. Was it possible that one person could use both?

Skeletor laughed and exclaimed, "Why, He-Man, of course!"

He didn't know how to take that answer. Was he toying with him? Skeletor answered the question moments later.

"I don't know who the true carrier is, but I do know He-Man comes from the second Sword of Power." He glanced at Adam and stated, "I have a theory. The Sorceress told my mother that I was to carry the Sword of Power, but how did she know? What made me so special? Over the years, I did research on the Royal Family and I discovered that our family is related to King Greyskull himself." He chuckled almost happily and cried, "Don't you see? Descendants of King Greyskull are more than likely supposed to carry the Power Swords. I wonder who it could be."

Adam coughed a little and met Skeletor's gaze. The possibility of his uncle knowing was frightening, but all Adam could do was stare right back at him. It was like they were both waiting for the other to say something. It wouldn't be him. He would never voluntarily tell Skeletor that he held the other Sword of Power.

Hopefully, he didn't already know.

Regardless, he felt betrayed most horribly.


	11. Chapter 11

I just wanted to say thank you for the recent favorable reviews of this story. It inspires me to keep writing. To address some questions, this is the Filmation (80's) version of He-Man. As for Keldor or someone else explaining who King Greyskull is to Adam, I don't think that's necessary. In my way of thinking, since we have the Spirit of Greyskull in this version, Adam already knows about King Greyskull since Greyskull himself shows up as a "ghost" a few times in the series. Surely, Adam didn't miss out on that little tidbit, especially since the Royal Family would keep up with their ancestors and who the Kings of Eternia were. They knew about King Tamusk after all and the Royal Family has a Hall of Kings in Eternos. I'm writing the story from that viewpoint and I hope everyone continues to enjoy this.

**Chapter 11**

The longer Adam stared at Skeletor the more frightened he became. This was the very thing he had spent the last few years of his life fearing, that Skeletor would discover that he was He-Man. It had always spelled devastation and disaster for his family. It had always meant that Death would be knocking on his door more insistently than ever before.

He averted his eyes since Skeletor continued to look at him. He knew he had to say something, anything to throw his uncle off, but it was proving to be impossible. Taking a deep breath, he met his eyes again and whispered, "There are several men in our family. I don't believe it could be my father; I've seen He-Man and him together…"

Skeletor nodded and walked away.

Adam stared at his back and kept quiet. When Skeletor finally turned around, he walked to Adam and laid the Sword of Power against his chest. Adam nearly jumped out of his skin as a result. He grabbed the sword and held it away from him as if it were soiling his clothing. "Why are you handing me this?" he asked nervously.

"I'm curious," Skeletor said with a chuckle. "Hold the sword up, Adam. Say the words 'By the Power of Greyskull.'"

The prince felt his blood chill. He felt it traveling down his veins roughly and he knew he might pass out at any given second. "What?" he gasped.

"Do it," the Lord of Destruction demanded.

Adam wondered what would happen if he did. It wasn't _his_ Sword of Power, so would it turn him into He-Man? This sword used to be a part of his according to Skeletor so it was possible. But, maybe it wouldn't do anything. Or, maybe it would turn him into someone else, someone more like Skeletor…

The thought made him breathe roughly. "I cannot," he whispered. He almost held it back out to his uncle but stopped himself. He had Skeletor's sword in his hands. What would happen if he kept it? It would have been ideal if his uncle had been Keldor at that moment, because he could have simply kept the sword away from his uncle forever! He could have taken it back to Castle Greyskull, but he didn't dare do so while the man was Skeletor. It would have defeated his purpose. Regardless, Adam felt the urge not to give it back—he wanted to slip it behind his back to let it rest with his Sword of Power.

But if he did that, Skeletor would know for certain who carried the other half.

Sighing, he held the sword out to him and said, "I don't feel comfortable using magic that has done this to you."

His words seemed to interest his uncle. "You don't trust something that your precious Castle Greyskull has done?" he questioned.

"_My_ precious Castle Greyskull? It's not mine. I've been there from time to time, but it's not even a part of my father's kingdom. It…"

"It's supposedly a place of good," countered Skeletor.

Adam looked down and realized he might have found a way to get out of this mess. Therefore, he replied, "So you say, but it seems to me that an awful lot of destruction happens because of that place."

Skeletor took the sword back and nodded. "Well said, Adam," he agreed. "So, you think this has changed me for the worst?"

"Hasn't it?" Adam mumbled. "Look at you. You're Eternia's most hated villain. You even appear menacing in this form."

Skeletor chuckled and responded, "I'm only a threat to those who are against me. I do not believe that you are right now." He looked around the room for a moment before exclaiming, "Shall we go to Snake Mountain now?"

Adam thought about it for only a second. Skeletor had stated earlier that he wanted to show him what was happening in his life. This was a rare opportunity to look inside his mind and see the motivations of Skeletor. Besides, this was his uncle and he was going to try to redeem him. If he were to do that, they would have to build a stronger relationship than what they currently had. "Yes," he agreed.

Skeletor laughed a little and his glee got even louder when the workshop door opened and admitted King Randor and Duncan.

Adam's father was speaking before he got a good look at who was in the room. "What's taking so long, son? You said you would be joining us and we have news from the Sor…" The king's words fell short when he noticed Skeletor standing beside his son. "ADAM!" he exclaimed. He held his hand out and said in desperation, "Come here, son!"

The prince looked at his father's reaching arm. He almost walked away from his uncle to go to the king, but he stopped himself. His father's presence changed nothing. He still wanted to gain Skeletor's trust, and his father, the Sorceress, and Man-At-Arms had seriously made him begin to doubt the trust he had in them. Moving closer to Skeletor, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Adam?" Randor and Duncan questioned.

The prince turned to his uncle and whispered even softer than before, "Let's go now. They'll never let me go otherwise."

Skeletor laughed and exclaimed, "As you wish, Prince Adam!" He slipped his Sword of Power behind his back, lifted his arms, and made them disappear as the king and Man-At-Arms hollered in despair.

END CHAPTER ELEVEN


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